September 8, 2008


Either Michael Caine believes all the Batman 3 casting gossip that he reads in the British tabloids, or he knows something we don't.

Well, now we know it, too, because he's blabbed about it.

In a chat with MTV, the actor who portrays Alfred the butler in Christopher Nolan's Batman films said, "They've already got (the villains) in mind. ... It's Johnny Depp as The Riddler. And The Penguin is Philip Seymour Hoffman. I read it in the paper."

But before you completely dismiss this comment as a glib throwaway line, Caine revealed, ""I was with [a Warner Bros.] executive and I said, 'Are we going to make another one?' They said yeah. I said, 'How the hell are we going to top Heath [Ledger as The Joker]? And he says 'I'll tell you how you top Heath — Johnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin.' I said, '(Expletive), they've done it again!'"

The Comic Book Cynic recently pointed out that Depp addressed the Riddler rumors during a radio interview, saying, "I heard about that. Not that I know of. ... It seems like it'd be a fun gig for a while, yeah."

And when asked about the Penguin rumors at the Toronto International Film Festival, Hoffman advised The Stone Report, "I don't think so." But then Hoffman admitted that he was a comic book fan growing up and added, "I think what they're doing with that whole Batman story is really true to what that whole Batman thing has always been. It's one of the darkest origins of a superhero, to get all nerdy and geeky on you. That character sees his parents gunned down as a young child: I remember when I was a kid reading that story, so seeing it now come to life as the dark tale that it really is as an intense, really dark, very visceral, adult tale that they're doing now, all the great work people are doing on it, of course I wouldn't say, 'Well, no, no no.' But I don't know the reality of it, so I wouldn't say 'yes' to you."

Good casting for the penguin. I'm not sure about depp. Great actor but at the moment I just can't picture him being right for it.

I'm looking forward for that too.

I don't know why but I have doubt that they'll put both the Riddler & Penguin in a same story.

Why not?
They're friends...PSH as the Penguin would seem a decent choice. Depp I'm kind've over practically playing very similar characters all the time, his "quieter" roles serve him a lot better I think. Wouldn't mind seeing someoe like Greg Kinnear take on the Riddler.

Like I said before, I'd love to see HUSH, just wiki him if you don't know who it is - wasn't introduced all that long ago but the character has a long history with Wayne, he's pretty much like the twisted version of Wayne. I mean seriously, this character is practically Nolan-ish already.

Will Ferrell as Maxie Zeus with John C. Reilly as Manbat.

I would love to see Johnny Depp as the riddler. After what he did with Willie Wonka, I can see him playing any goofball role.


Mix Wonka with Sweeny Todd (Maybe a little Jack Sparrow), and you would have a seriously messed up villain. I have a hard time thinking anyone could pull of the the feeling of being threatened that Ledger did, but if anyone alive could do it, i would put money on Johnny Depp.

Christopher Walken

He already had his time as a batman villain.:D

and as a james bond villian - named Max Zorin

Maxie Zeu - Max Zorin .. hmmm

Depp would make a good riddler if he had no likeness to any previous role, i think he could do a good job being himself, he seems eerie like that